It is a common piece of folklore that mixing different types of alcohol, especially switching from “grape” (wine) to “grain” (whiskey), will inevitably lead to a worse hangover. This popular saying, often phrased as “wine before liquor, never sicker,” suggests that the specific sequence of beverages determines the outcome.
Modern scientific understanding indicates that the order in which you consume wine and whiskey is not the primary factor in how intoxicated you become or how severe your next-day discomfort will be. The focus should instead be on the total amount of alcohol consumed and the behavioral changes that often accompany switching drinks.
The Order of Drinks Does Not Matter
The human body processes a single chemical compound called ethanol, which is the alcohol found in all wine, beer, and spirits. Whether that ethanol originated from fermented grapes in wine or distilled grain in whiskey, the liver metabolizes it in the same way. Intoxication is therefore directly related to your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), which is a measure of the total ethanol in your bloodstream over time.
The body’s physiological response is independent of the drink’s history. The liver can only process approximately one standard drink per hour, and exceeding this rate is what causes BAC to rise rapidly. Switching from a glass of wine to a shot of whiskey does not confuse or overload the body’s metabolic pathways in any unique way. The severity of intoxication or hangover is purely a function of the total volume of ethanol ingested.
How Mixing Affects Tracking and Pacing
While the order of drinks does not physiologically matter, switching from a lower-alcohol beverage to a higher-alcohol one often leads to negative effects due to behavioral factors. Wine is typically consumed in a 5-ounce serving at around 12% Alcohol by Volume (ABV), while a standard shot of whiskey is 1.5 ounces at 40% ABV. When a drinker switches from wine to whiskey, they are moving from a lower-concentration drink to one with a significantly higher concentration of ethanol per serving.
The problem arises when the drinker maintains the same pace with the stronger drink as they did with the wine. For instance, consuming one drink every 30 minutes means a sudden and dramatic spike in the total amount of ethanol entering the system. This rapid increase in intake drives the BAC up quickly, leading to a sudden onset of severe intoxication. The difficulty in accurately tracking total alcohol units when mixing different types of drinks further contributes to overconsumption.
Congeners and Hangover Severity
A factor that does influence hangover severity, independent of the order of consumption, is the presence of compounds called congeners. Congeners are byproducts of fermentation, such as methanol, acetone, and tannins, that contribute to a beverage’s color, flavor, and aroma. These compounds are minor toxins, and drinks containing higher concentrations of them are consistently associated with worse hangovers.
Darker spirits like whiskey, especially bourbon, contain significantly higher levels of congeners than lighter beverages such as white wine or vodka. Bourbon, for example, can have a congener content 37 times higher than that of vodka. When these compounds are metabolized, they may compete with ethanol, potentially worsening the inflammatory response and contributing to classic hangover symptoms. Therefore, switching to a high-congener drink like whiskey may make the hangover worse, not because of the order, but because of the specific chemical composition of the final beverage consumed.
Guidelines for Responsible Consumption
The most effective strategy for managing alcohol’s effects is to focus on moderation and pacing, rather than worrying about the sequence of drinks. A good practice is to set a maximum number of standard drinks before the evening begins and strictly adhere to that limit. Since the body can metabolize only about one standard drink per hour, maintaining this pace is vital for keeping the BAC stable.
It is also important to alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water to combat the dehydrating effects of ethanol. Consuming a meal before and during drinking slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, which helps to prevent rapid intoxication. Finally, when switching to a spirit like whiskey, always measure the pour carefully to ensure you are not accidentally consuming far more ethanol than intended.